Undead Game
by BlackElement7
Summary: Every year after a vampire prince has reached adulthood, he must find a mate. Itachi's a royal. Sakura's a girl. What more must I say? [SakuIta]
1. Chapter 1

**So, I'm not allowed on the computer. That's why I'm typing. It's not for you guys. No, just kidding!!!!! I love you all!!!!!!!!! You're so nice to me… My friend and I love Evanescence's Imaginary and Whisper, but somehow we've got two different versions of it… How can that happen…? Anyways, another AU fic, though this gold story (AU – gold, get it? …I'm not funny at all…) doesn't take place in the city. Well, that's where we start…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Meh. I wish I did, though…**

**Kuro-hime (my alter ego's alter ego): And if wishes were horses then beggars would ride…**

**Me: Shut up. Oh, and by the way. These chapters will be really long (for me), so it might take me longer to update.**

**Kuro-hime: If you continue to review, I will… ahem… encourage her to write faster.**

**Me: coughforcecough… I'll feel guilty!**

**- - -**

"Aaah!!!" Itachi blinked at the scene before him. Three men surrounded a young woman with pink hair that gleamed in the moonlight. Normal thing to see in the city? Sure, but the feminine shriek had come not from the girl by from the short man who'd stepped forward aggressively.

"You scream like a woman," the girl laughed, a rich, honeyed sound. Itachi's sharp eyes caught the glint of a needle imbedded in the man's shoulder.

"Why you little – !" A knife flew past him to land, quivering, in the wall behind him. The _brick_ wall. He stepped back, fear visible in his wide eyes.

The girl sighed, slipping her hands into the pockets of her baggy pants. "It's late, gentlemen, and I'd like to sleep tonight. Can't you just let me pass by?"

"No can do," the tallest man said regretfully. "We caught you on our turf, and if the boss finds out that we let you go, we'd be dead."

She shook her head. "Then I'm sorry about this." With that, she flung the knives. They thunked into the men's chests and blood splattered their clothes. The girl wrinkled her nose as she stepped neatly over the bloody bodies.

Itachi followed her silently to a small apartment. It was the full moon and he needed to feed. After all, he was a vampire.

"If you're going to be here, you might as well come in. You're letting in the bugs," her voice cut sharply through his thinking. Slightly surprised at her ability to detect him, he obliged, stepping in through the door and closing it quietly behind him.

She ignored him, throwing her trenchcoat carelessly onto the floor. Itachi slid behind her, placing his pale hands on her shoulders.

"What is your name, little one?" he murmured softly, placing his lips on her neck – approximately above the jugular vein.

She snorted. "Sakura," she replied. "Haruno Sakura." She was smirking, but he couldn't tell why. "And you?"

"Uchiha Itachi." He bit down on her neck – but instead of breaking skin to reach delicious blood as he'd expected, his fangs met cold iron. "What the – "

Sakura's smirk widened and she pulled away, scoffing. "You don't really think I'd leave my neck unprotected so close to the full moon, do you?"

Itachi tugged the cloth choker from her neck to reveal the shining band of metal. "Clever."

"The full moon, when hunger is at its peak," she continued, as if he had not spoken. "As it happens, I don't like your type. Please leave."

"Not until you tell me how you know about us," Itachi purred, sitting on the floor and pulling her down onto his lap.

She shrugged, pulling a small lighter from her pocket and flicking it open. "It's nothing; I've a cousin who tried to feed on me two years ago. He was a wimp, despite his superstrength – I intimidated him into telling me a little." Peering into his face, she added, "That's strange. My cousin always flinched when light got into his eyes at night. What about you?"

Itachi chuckled, sending shivers down Sakura's spine. "You speak as though this was all in the past. Where is your cousin?"

"Oh… I staked him through the heart after he tried to kill me an hour later. What's different about you?"

Again he chuckled. "Persistent girl. I'm from a royal family, so I'm not affected by the light."

She nodded. "I see. Well, now that I've answered your question, get out." Her flat command was accompanied by a slender finger jabbed in the direction of the door as she got up from his lap.

Itachi smirked. "As you wish." Touching a pressure point, he picked up her limp body and disappeared into the night.

- - -

Sakura groaned, sitting up. Black silk sheets fell from her body as she did (A/N: I love silk!!!!), blinking spots from her eyes.

"Where am I?"

A familiar, deep voice spoke from the foot of the bed. "You told me to get out of your room so now we are in mine."

"What the hell!" she demanded angrily. "Why did you do that?" She took in the outfit that Itachi wore and the appearance of Itachi himself. A black cloak with red clouds covered him from mouth to toe. Black, silky hair was neatly tied in a low ponytail at the base of his head. But the most captivating thing about the vampire was the pair of crimson eyes that gazed unblinkingly at her, set into a chiseled face of marble.

_He needs to get in the sun more_, she told herself, then mentally smacked her forehead. _He's a vampire! Get into the sun… Pfft…_

"Did your cousin tell you anything about royals, or just about the common types?" he asked. She cocked her head, thinking.

"Well, there was something he started to say…" she mused with a finger to her lips, "but then he kinda lunged at me. So I staked him." She smiled innocently.

"Ah." Itachi sweatdropped at the expression on her face. "Well, every year after a vampire prince comes of age, he must find a mate. Humans don't last for long, so when a prince finds a human to whom he is unusually attached - and willing to spend the rest of eternity with – he has the choice of making her one of us. The same thing happens to our princesses."

Sakura paled. "So I'm here because…"

"You will be my mate for this century. That is correct, Sakura-chan." His hand slid behind her to finger her hand, which held a small dagger. "If you die, I'll just find another girl. You won't kill yourself, will you?"

She scowled and sheathed the dagger. "Fine. If I'm going to die anyway, I might as well postpone some other girl's death. It's not like there's anything else for me to do, and she might actually deserve the life she has."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "You have an interesting view of life and death, Sakura-chan," he remarked. He had been slightly surprised at her reaction to his threat. After all, most people would think to attack the one threatening them, not to kill themselves.

She shrugged casually, folding the covers to one side and swinging her long legs over the side of the bed. "It's true, though. So what am I supposed to do now? Any more questions?"

"Yes, actually." Itachi studied her face, as if committing it to memory. "Contrary to common belief, only royals can turn mortals into vampires. Was your cousin mate to one of the princesses?"

Sakura shivered. "As if. His mother was my father's sister – or so he said. And who would lie about being related to someone like me? He also told me that mortal-immortal matches are very uncommon, even if said mortal is not particularly willing."

"Are you sure he was related to you?" Itachi inquired, eyes narrowing slightly. If she'd just said what he thought she'd said…

The girl scowled. "I couldn't tell! My mother died giving birth to me, and she's never seen my father, never mind me! How am I supposed to know if we're related?!"  
"You're half-vampire?"

"That's what he told me," she nodded. "I don't suppose there's some way to know for sure?"

Itachi thought for a moment before walking to a drawer beside the door, pulling out a small vial. He held it out to her, letting her see the splashing red liquid inside. His thumb flicked the cork out of the mouth of the glass container.

"What is this, Sakura-chan?" She shuddered, having seen enough of it in her life in the dark side of the city.

"Blood from a fatal wound. It smells fresh," she decided. "But anyone who lives in the alleys could tell you that."

Itachi chuckled, recorking the vial of blood and tucking it away. He drew out another vial of black liquid. "Very good. And this?"

Sakura's brows furrowed in thought. _I've never seen that stuff in my life_, she thought silently, _but I recognize the smell…_

And the answer presented itself to her at once. "It's blood," she began slowly, sniffing the air. "It's…blood…and it smells… It's vampire blood."

The vampire's smirk widened as he closed the drawer. "Correct. It would seem that you are indeed half-vampire. Only your kind can detect the smell of our blood. Very useful for hunting us, I would imagine."

"Hunting – "

"Indeed. Many half-immortals seek to destroy those who give them the power to do so. Have you heard of the dhampir, the vampire hunters? They are all half-vampire themselves."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Interesting… Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

The dark-haired immortal shook his head. "No. We are required to attend a formal banquet along with the other princes and princesses and their mates later, but until then there's nothing planned."

The pink-haired teen stood. "Can I go back until it's time, then?" He knew she wouldn't try to escape, but shook his head anyway.

"Would you like a tour of the castle?" he offered. "Perhaps we will meet some of the others." Not that he was looking forward to it.

"Okay," Sakura agreed. "Wait – castle?" She raised an eyebrow.

Itachi shrugged, sighing. "Old-fashioned council of elders. They say it makes them feel younger." Sakura giggled.

"I see."  
He led her out of his room into a (surprisingly) brightly-lit corridor. "Next door is the bathroom; there's a door from the inside of my room – use that one. The library is that door; don't go in any of those rooms; the weapons room is here; don't go any further or down the stairs without me," he instructed her. She nodded obediently.

"Can we go in the weapons room?" she requested, curious about the weapons that would be in a vampire castle. Itachi pushed the door open and they stepped in – only to find that they were not alone.

"Hey, Uchiha," a brown-haired, white-eyed vampire smirked, curling back his lips to reveal pointed canines. "Introduce us?" The girl with buns in her hair next to him snorted rudely.

Itachi frowned dangerously at the vampire. "Watch it, Hyuuga. Sakura-chan, this is Neji, his mate for the year, his cousin Hinata of the Hyuuga clan, and her mate Naruto. This – " he glanced at a lazy vampire slouching next to his blond-haired mate " – is Nara Shikamaru. Ino is his mate. And, of course, my otouto, Sasuke."

Sakura bowed politely. "Hajimemashite, Neji-san, Hinata-san, Naruto-san, Shikamaru-san, Ino-san, Sasuke-san." Suddenly, she froze. "I-Ino…san?"

"Yes?" The gold-haired vampiress stepped forward, blue eyes widening in recognition. "Sakura… As in, Haruno Sakura? Forehead girl?"

"So that's where you've been!" Sakura exclaimed. "Man, have you grown!"

Shikamaru looked between them uncertainly. "You know each other?" he asked, yawning.

"Hell yeah!" Sakura replied, embracing Ino. "But she disappeared three years ago. Nice to see you again."  
Ino gestured behind her emerald-eyed friend. "Let's leave the men to their arguing. I wanna talk to you over there."

Shikamaru yawned again. "Mendokuse…" Ino rolled her eyes, dragging Sakura off.

They chatted for a while, but once Ino started ranting about how lazy Shikamaru was, Sakura stopped her ears (she'd learned to do that very early, after trying to actually listen to Ino for half an hour) and studied a case full of gleaming knives. Absorbed in the intricate design of the blades, she didn't notice as Neji's bun-haired mate threw a knife, which he dodged. The chocolate-haired girl gasped as it flew at Sakura's head.

Without thinking, the green-eyed girl caught the shining blade between two fingers a mere inch from her face. Studying the knife in her hand, she flicked her wrist and sent it back to its owner.

"I like the knife. Perfect balance, simple design." With that, she turned back to the knives in the case.

Ino grinned at her, displaying white, pointed teeth. "I see your skills haven't diminished at all, forehead girl."

"Mm."

Neji's mate had joined them, holding out their hand. "Hajimemashite, Sakura-san. I'm Tenten."

Sakura shook her slender hand, gesturing at a knife on which she'd been concentrating. "Hey, Tenten-san. What do you think of this one?"

Tenten contemplated it, closing one eye and tilting her head. Finally she grinned, turning to Sakura. "Just call me Tenten. The balance is off, certainly, but the design is flawless! If only I could create such beautiful blades." She gazed at a knife that had appeared in her hand.

"Mm… If that vine wasn't so thick, the blade would be perfect," Sakura mumbled as if to herself. Looking at the weapon in Tenten's hand, her eyes lit up. "May I see that?"

Turning the blade over in her hands, she whistled in admiration. "You make this?"

Tenten nodded, pleased. "I've got a shop and everything – or at least, I did." She glared at Neji.

Sakura unsheathed a knife from her wrist. "I'll trade you – this knife ought to fit in your sheath." Tenten looked the offered knife over, surveying it critically.

"Deal. Good steel. Did you make it?"

Sakura laughed. "No; I took it off a guy who challenged me. He didn't deserve to have such a good blade," she answered. Tenten's carefully forged dagger had disappeared into her clothing.

"Hey, sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to try and maim you," Tenten told her.

"Don't worry about it. Heaven knows I stuck my mentor more than enough times when I first learned to handle knives," the pink-haired girl replied cheerfully. "Besides, it would take more than a stray throw to 'maim' me. You'd have to actually try." She shivered. "But I'd rather not be bleeding in a room full of vampires."

Ino chuckled. "Definitely not, forehead girl." Her predatory smile reminded Sakura that her former companion was now undead.

A shadow fell over them; Sakura looked up to see Itachi looming over her. Swallowing, she stammered, "Y-yes, Itachi-san?"  
Itachi took her hand in his larger one and pulled her gently towards the door. "Dinner is about to start."

"That reminds me…" Neji turned. "Tenten, come."  
"I'm not a dog," the brown-eyed girl hissed in return.

"_Tenten_."

She rolled her eyes, muttering to herself as she walked over to him. "Tenten, wake up. Tenten, come. Tenten, stay. Tenten, hurry up. Do you want me to roll over and play dead, too?"

Sakura giggled, watching over her shoulder as the two glared at each other. Naruto had offered Hinata his arm; she blushed, taking it gratefully. Shikamaru yawned. Again.

As something occurred to her, she looked at Itachi. "Hey, can vampires eat? Besides blood, I mean."  
He shrugged, still not letting go of her hand. "Yes, but this is more of a ceremony and feeding you mortals than anything, really."

'_You mortals', he says. Aren't we smug?_

"And half-mortals," he amended after glancing at her. "Although I suspect you don't need to eat as often as most humans?"

She glowered at him. "Will you stop reminding me, already?!" she snapped. "I ate yesterday, so if I can get a little blood tonight, I should be fine…"

Itachi raised an elegant eyebrow. "And where, pray tell, might you get this blood?" he inquired.

Sakura sighed, pushing back her sleeve to show a thin scar across her wrist. "I'm still half-human," she muttered before letting the fabric slide back down to cover it again. "Useful at times. Especially when I get captured."

She was startled when he clamped a hand over her wrist. "Sakura." His red eyes bored into her green ones as he faced her. "Feeding on yourself is not good for your body. Don't do it again."

Tearing herself away from those endless pools of red he called eyes, she looked at the ground, nodding obediently. Satisfied, he pushed open a set of double doors.

They entered a large room filled with chairs and one long table. Pushing her down into a chair, he sat beside her. Ino plopped down on her other side, dragging Shikamaru with her.

"Hey, forehead girl! Remember Ami, that fool who wouldn't stop following you?" she burbled happily, pointing at said purple-haired fool, who glared across the table. Ino only sneered, flashing her elongated teeth. Ami immediately recoiled, blanching in fear and disgust. "She's Sasuke-kun's mate this time!"

Sakura giggled nervously. After the elders had made their speeches – most of which were meant to bore the hell out of them all (or so it seemed) – the food was served. She smiled gratefully at Itachi when he passed her a particularly rare piece of meat.

Automatically checking for poison, she was surprised to hear Ino's voice. "It's not poisoned, forehead girl." The blonde grinned at her, her bright smile somehow putting Sakura at ease.

_Ino… I'll miss you, at least._

Across the table, Neji was trying to force Tenten to eat something, while she pointedly ignored him. Finally, he gave up, settling instead for glaring holes in her head.

Ino laughed, a tinkling, high-pitched, sweet sound unlike Sakura's own moderate, honeyed laughter. "This time of year is always entertaining." Her dancing blue eyes saddened slightly. "You just have to learn not to get too attached to the girls you meet, because only one or two will live," she murmured.

Green eyes scanned the room, examining each new face with calm acceptance.

_Who will go? Who will stay among the dead forever?_

- - -

**Whoo!! I'm finally done typing this chapter, which is undoubtedly the longest first chapter I've ever written!!!!!! So, now it's time for my utterly useless babble… I am working on a sequel to Allegiances, yes to anybody who asked, but I won't start typing it until it's done in my notebook and this story is done. Sorry, but… I can't multitask with typing. Relax, there's only like two or three more chapters left. Heh. So, anybody seen the Naruto movie? We're going to see it once finals are done, in Canada. Stupid finals…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Bleh… I hate finals, and I hate broccoli, too. My mom wants me to wash the broccoli for her… I'm typing, so there. Though I probably should be studying for finals… Shame on me…**

**- - -**

"Sakura, you go with the others while I talk to Neji," Itachi told Sakura once they had finished eating. "There are throwing targets outside. I'm sure Ino can take you there."

Ino, who'd overheard when her name had been said, hugged Sakura. "Of course, forehead girl! You'll love the moving targets – "

Itachi cut her off. "Sakura will not use the live targets," he stated flatly. Ino looked at him in surprise.

"But they can't die from a knife wound!" she argued. "The living targets are actually vampires who volunteer to work at the throwing grounds this time of year for the humans' benefits." This was added for Sakura's benefit.

"She will not use the live targets," Itachi repeated firmly. Sakura nodded obediently, knowing the reason why. Being half-immortal, she could actually kill the undead.

Ino gave up, dragging Sakura off. "Hey, Tenten! Do you want to come along with us to the target grounds?" the blonde vampiress called.

"Of course!" the brunette cried eagerly. Blue-haired Hinata stood as well, playing with her fingers.

"Ano… M-may I c-come with y-you?" she requested timidly. When Ino laughed and threw her free arm around Hinata's neck, her creamy lavender-tinted eyes lit up with pleasure.

The throwing grounds were huge. They were also a bit dark, but having grown up in the streets, Sakura's eyes adjusted quickly. The four of them were alone except for the moving targets.

Unsheathing her wrist knives, she flicked her wrist and let one handle fall into her palm. Studying the target in front of her, her hands moved too quickly for the eye to see.

A kunai embedded itself in the target's center, with senbon needles clustered closely around it. Tenten whistled in admiration.

"Pretty good," she grinned. "But kind of boring." She drew out a handful of kunai and sent them flying, which formed a happy face in the air before hitting the target dead-on.

As they retrieved their projectiles, Ino placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder. Instinct kicked in for a moment, and the pastel-haired girl flinched.

Ino heard the sharp intake of breath, as did Tenten and Hinata. "What happened?" the bun-haired girl asked anxiously. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Sakura replied through gritted teeth. "I just stabbed myself. _Please_ don't sneak up on me like that."

Stowing the needles away safely, she stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked on it. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, seeming for the first time to taste different than when the moon was not out.

A strong, cold hand tugged the hand away from her mouth. Itachi's familiar scent filled her senses as he whispered, "I thought I told you not to feed on yourself, Sakura." His stern gaze landed on the tiny drop of blood on her finger.

Following his eyes, she snatched her finger away and put it in her mouth again. "I'm not _feeding_," she returned. "I'm just cleaning the wound." Going to pull the hand away from her face for emphasis, she found that she could not; and, with some panic, that she was growing faint.

Sighing, Itachi yanked her finger out of her mouth for her. "The moon affects you too," he snapped. "Even though you can resist when it's not full, you could drain yourself now. You've already lost a lot of blood, just from that tiny prick."

Sakura hung her head. "Sorry." She shuddered at the thought of how bad it would have been had she tried to feed from the wrist. She jumped, startled, when Itachi shoved a bottle of blood at her, cocking her head curiously.

He sighed. "Drink it. You need to have energy." Gratefully, she took the small bottle and drained it slowly.

"Uchiha." Neji walked over with Tenten by his side. Ino, Hinata, Naruto, and Shikamaru followed. "Why is she drinking blood?"  
"None of your business," Itachi answered smoothly, taking the empty container and slipping it between the folds of his cloak.

Suddenly, as Neji opened his mouth to pry further, and Tenten opened her mouth to tell him to leave Sakura alone, Ami ran through the door with a kunai in her hand. The knife sailed towards Sakura, slitting the cloth of her choker. Catching the projectile as it flew past her, she pocketed it.

"You shouldn't have such a pretty blade if you can't hit an opponent properly," she lectured Ami, who was fuming. "You should have aimed for a spot on my body where you know I'm not protected."

"S-Sakura-san!" Hinata stammered. "Y-you're b-bleeding!" Glancing down, Sakura saw that it was true; Ami's knife had slipped a little when she caught it. She started to move her hand toward her mouth; Itachi's hand came down and left a stinging red welt across the side of her face. All of the others gasped.

"What did I say about feeding on yourself?" Itachi growled dangerously. Sakura stared into his eyes, then at the ground.

"Gomenasai, Itachi-san. I won't do it again," she mumbled. Taking a small strip of fabric from her pocket, she wrapped her finger in it and tied it.

"How can you hit her!" Ino demanded, shocked. Sakura glanced at her, smiling.

"It's all right, Ino," she said softly. "I deserved it." She looked up, surprised, when Itachi ran his fingers over her smarting cheek. Immediately, the pain subsided. "Arigato… But I wasn't _feeding_ on myself."  
Itachi glared. "You couldn't stop yourself. I call that feeding, Sakura," he said dryly.

"_F-feeding on yourself?!_" Ami shrieked. "That's disgusting! How can you _eat_ yourself?!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I wasn't eating myself, baka," she muttered.

"Then what were you doing?!"  
In response, she held up her finger, displaying the bandage for Ami to see. "Don't tell me you've never sucked on a cut before."

"But you couldn't stop because it's near the full moon…" Ino whispered. Sakura nodded, shoving her hands into her pocket. "Then…"

"You're a vampire?" Tenten finished in growing horror. Sakura scowled, showering the target beside her with senbon.

"Of course not," she snapped in irritation. "I'm only half-blooded at most."

Ino's eyes widened. "You're part vampire?"  
"Apparently." The pink-haired girl yanked her needles out of the target viciously.

The blonde whistled. "So that's where your strength comes from," she nodded, calmly absorbing this new information.

Ami stumbled backwards toward the door, with every intention to get back into the castle and out of the throwing grounds, but bumped into Sasuke. She gave a faint, shrill scream before passing out.

Sasuke watched emotionlessly as his purple-haired mate for the year fell to the ground before him. Sighing, he nudged her with his foot and she leapt up in alarm.

"That could have cost you your life on the streets," Sakura chided carelessly, ignoring Ami's venomous glare. "You shouldn't be so timid."  
"And maybe you should stop being so paranoid!" Ami spat back, eyes flashing. Sakura laughed softly.

"Paranoid? Being a little paranoid never hurt anyone. Besides, if I was really paranoid, I would never have come out here. Think of all the accidents that might happen…" Ami shuddered at the pink-haired girl's smile. "And if I was paranoid, I most certainly wouldn't have put my hand near my mouth. Am I paranoid?"

Ami only stared at her. Ino sighed.

"Well, this is getting boring. Let's go inside." The small party of immortals, mortals, and half-immortals slowly moved back into the castle. Sakura shot Ino a grateful glance for the distraction; the blonde grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Wh-where do w-we g-go n-now?" Hinata spoke up, looking at her cousin and her mate. They glanced at Itachi.

"How about the library? There is a large section on folklore," he suggested, crimson eyes flickering momentarily to Sakura.

She blinked. "That would be very helpful," she said calmly. Ino grabbed her arm and dragged her off to the library, humming joyfully.

Sasuke turned to Itachi, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Folklore?" Itachi only smirked; Ami started to say something, but a warning glance from Hinata and Tenten shut her up. She decided that it was safer not to say anything when the weaponsmistress had glinting knives in her hands.

- - -

"I'll help you find what you're looking for, Sakura!" Ino chirped as she skipped into the relatively bright room, pulling her green-eyed captive behind her. Said captive pried her arm out of Ino's deathgrip and rubbed the feeling back into it, wincing.

"Thanks, Ino."  
Tenten stepped into the library with Hinata behind her, stowing her kunai safely out of sigh. "W-we'll h-help, t-too," Hinata stuttered. Sakura smiled her thanks.

Itachi's purple-nailed hand descended on her shoulder, causing her to yelp and whirl around. "The section you want is over there," he stated monotonously, pointing a painted finger.

"Thank you," Sakura mumbled, turning and muttering about sadistic idiots under her breath. She missed her captor's widening smirk of amusement as she followed the other girls to the place where Itachi had pointed. Immediately, she began looking at the ancient books and rifling carefully through them.

- - -

_Half-immortal, half-vampire…_ She couldn't find much. Then it occurred to her to look under the term that Itachi had told her – _dhampir_. Sure enough, she found three different books all about dhampir.

Dhampir: The child of a vampire and a mortal. When humans in medieval times "detected" a vampire, they would hire a dhampir to get rid of the vampire believed to haunt the village – usually the supposed vampire's own son. After struggling with an invisible enemy for a while, the "dhampir" would declare the vampire banished and be paid. Very few real half-immortals exist.

"Frauds," Sakura muttered to herself. She looked over to where Tenten sat on the ground, flipping eagerly through a thick book. "What did you find?"

The bun-haired teen looked up, her face glowing. "I've never seen such beautiful weapons!" she beamed excitedly. Nodding, Sakura returned to her reading.

Royals: There have been no recorded offspring of a royal vampire and a human. However, half-mortals can become full-blooded if they are the chosen mate of a royal. The ceremony does not change.

She snorted. _I didn't need to know that. It's not like I'm going to be chosen._ Despite the internal argument within her head, she turned to the page marked ROYAL CEREMONY and scanned it.

Royal ceremony: When a royal has found a mate for life, he/she must go through a ceremony to become an immortal. Details are unknown.

_Oh, that was helpful._

If a royal's mate is not chosen, they will be humanely disposed of using a quick-acting poison developed specifically for this purpose. The strongest (those who survive the poison) are offered positions as servants, but usually decline or do not last more than a week.

She shivered, closing her eyes. _Hm… I think I'll ask to be allowed to do it physically myself_, she thought, shuddering. "Poison…" (A/N: And I'm listening to Poison!!! I don't know who sings it, though…) She'd had enough of poison to last her a lifetime.

Suddenly, she became aware of someone reading over her shoulder. Her eyes flew open and she turned to stare Itachi in the face, raising an eyebrow. His warm breath tickled her neck and she found herself wondering vaguely how it could be warm if he was a vampire; but that thought drifted away as he spoke.

"Poison won't work on you," he said quietly. "You can't poison immortals or half-immortals."

"That's good," she muttered, fingering her wrist knives. "I don't trust poison. Knives are much easier to handle. I'd like to make sure I'm actually dead." She closed the book and put it back on the shelf, sighing. "So, Itachi-san. How long do we have?"  
He frowned, reaching out to stroke the back of her hand with a slender fingertip. She shivered, trying hard not to pull away. "The day after tomorrow we shall see who is still alive," he murmured, "and who is dead."

"Or undead," she mumbled. The dramatic effect of the moment was ruined by a yawn. Itachi smirked and pulled her to her feet, heading toward the door.

"Tenten," Neji called. "Bedtime." When she pointedly ignored him, he scowled and picked her up bridal-style. Though she kicked and shouted, he didn't let go.

Sakura giggled as she watched Tenten and Neji struggle. "They're made for each other," she sighed happily when the white-eyed vampire finally silenced Tenten with a kiss. Then she dragged Itachi out of the room, laughingly telling Tenten they'd give her and Neji some privacy and slyly suggesting that they get a room.

"There's one who'll survive for sure"! she beamed when she and Itachi had reached his room. "I'm so happy for them!"  
Itachi closed the door, settling on his large black bed. "You seem to have forgotten yourself," he pointed out.

"Not at all!" Sakura answered quickly. "I already told you that there's nothing I want from life, so I might as well be happy for the day I have left. Stop trying to depress me!"

Itachi chuckled and stood, pulling a black nightgown out of a closet. "Put this on to sleep," he ordered, tossing it to her. Without a word, she disappeared into the bathroom and obeyed.

When she came out, she folded her clothes and set them in his outstretched hands. He, in turn, placed them in a drawer of a cabinet; then he lay down on the bed and inspected her.

The silky nightgown was exactly her size, beginning at her collarbone and ending just above the floor. He raised an eyebrow at the choker still on her neck but said nothing. Long, wide sleeves covered her hands, leaving only the fingertips exposed.

"Very pretty, Sakura-chan," he smirked. She scowled and shook back her sleeve, to reveal the tip of her kunai.

"Thank you very much, Itachi-san," she muttered, staring at the ground. "Now stop staring."

He only gestured behind her, to a black table of ornately carved wood. "You don't need your knives here," he told her. "You can put them on in the morning."

Reluctantly, she slowly unstrapped seven different sheaths from her body and set them down on the table.

"Good girl. Come over here." He beckoned lazily and she glared at him before obeying. Tenten's complaints about being treated like a dog suddenly came to mind.

As soon as she'd reached Itachi's bedside, the ebony-haired immortal grabbed her waist and pulled her onto the mattress. Before she could react, he threw an arm over her and stuck his leg between hers, effectively pinning her down. With his free hand, he turned off the lights and then turned back to the struggling teen.

"Sleep."  
Ignoring his command, she continued to fight until he pulled her closer to him. He let his hand hover over a blackout point and placed his face next to hers.

"If you don't calm down, I will have to knock you out," he murmured. She froze immediately and relaxed into him, tensing again when he tugged the cloth away from her shoulder and placed his lips on the exposed skin.

"Itachi-san… what are you doing?" Shivering, she tried to move away from him but his grip was too strong. Gently kissing her shoulder, he wrapped both of his arms around her waist and guided her head under his chin.

"Sleep," he repeated, and this time she obeyed.

Once her even breathing told him she was fully asleep, he allowed himself to fall into the dark oblivion called sleep.

- - -

**Whoo hoo!!!!!!! I'm done!!!! Now I've got to go and eat dinner… And for those who asked:**

**Ino and Hinata are full-time mates, and Tenten, Sakura, and Ami aren't. Later, though… Who knows…? **

**Kuro-hime: You do. You're the authoress.**

**Me: Shut up.**

**Now, dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys. I'm back, typing furiously before going to finals. Heh heh… Last chapter!!!!!!**

**- - -**

Sakura woke to find a pair of arms encasing her. Her half-awake mind reacted instinctively and she attempted to slip out of the grip around her. It only tightened, and she panicked.

"Sh, cherry blossom," a deep voice murmured in her ear. Calming down, she looked behind her to meet Itachi's dark ruby eyes.

_Ah._

The vampire looked amusedly at her red face, cocking an eyebrow in question. She grinned sheepishly, squirming under his intense gaze.

"Heh heh… Sorry. I'm just not used to waking up in bed with someone else," she explained, shrugging. Then she noticed that she was still being held captive. "Um… Itachi-san, could you let go, please?"

"No." He smirked, bringing her closer to him until her back was touching his chest. She couldn't keep the blush off of her face.

_Damn the stupid full moon… Messing with my feelings…_

"Let go of me, Itachi-san!" she exclaimed, twisting furiously. He held her steady with both arms and a leg. "Please?"

"I'll let go," he began, "in return for a favor." She stopped wiggling, looking curiously at him.

"A favor? What favor, Itachi-san?" she inquired, having regained her normal coloring.

"A kiss," he replied simply. She stared at him thoughtfully before darting in and pressing her lips to his cheek. The instant his arm loosened, she leapt out of reach and grabbed her clothes. The bathroom door slammed closed; a minute later she stood before him again, strapping on all of her knives.

"Come on, Itachi-san!" she urged him, bouncing up and down childishly. "This is my last day, so I want to have fun!"

He stood, stretching lazily. "Won't you miss being alive?"  
She scoffed. "I'm half-undead anyways." Then her face lit up. "Let's play a game! Try and see if you can make me miss you by tonight. It has to be you, not someone like Ino or Tenten. If you do, you win. If not, I win!"

"Hn." She pouted at his monosyllabic answer but took it as a yes.

"So, what now?"

"It's breakfast time," Itachi suggested, amused by her suddenly childlike behavior. A sudden urge caused him to place her onto his shoulders and keep her there.

"What are you doing?" Sakura demanded from her spot above his head. He just smirked, striding out the door and down the stairs to the dining room. Only then did he put her down.

"Hey, forehead girl!" Ino called out cheerfully, dragging Shikamaru with her. Sakura turned, grinning.

"Hey, Ino!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, muttering, "Troublesome women…" Ino reached over and smacked him on the head.

"Sit with us!" she offered brightly. When Sakura looked at Itachi and he nodded, the blonde laughed, pleased. Sakura wondered if Ino had forgotten about why she was here in the first place, but the instant they sat down, she knew.

"Sakura, do you feel okay?" Ino whispered worriedly. "I know some people are freaking out because this is the last day…"

Sakura turned to her, smiling reassuringly. "I don't mind dying, Ino," she answered truthfully. "I'll miss you, and Tenten, and Hinata, but if it means someone else won't die this year, I don't care."

Ino picked at her dress. "And Itachi? Will you miss him?" Sakura laughed, noticing how the immortal in question leaned closer to them.

"That would spoil the game, ne, Itachi-san?" She took a piece of bread and nibbled on it, conscious of his intense gaze.

"Game?" Ino looked back and forth between the two, puzzled. "What are you talking about, Sakura?"  
Without taking her jade orbs away from Itachi's face, Sakura evenly explained the goal of the "game" to her friend. Ino's brow furrowed.

"But won't you miss him?" she demanded. "There has to be some part of you that would miss him." She looked at Itachi for help.

"Don't help him!" Sakura protested. "That's not fair!"

Ino turned curiously back to face her, sky-blue eyes wide. "What's the prize for winning, anyway?" she asked.

Sakura looked at Itachi. "We didn't decide that. I mean, if I'm dead, I won't have any use for anything, and if I lose, everything I have to give will be his for the taking anyways," she pointed out, shrugging. "I'm just playing to keep myself occupied."

Ino would have said something, but Naruto bounced over energetically. "Hey, hey! Hinata-chan wants to know if you guys want to come to the beach with us today!"

Looking at Itachi, Sakura raised an eyebrow. He shrugged nonchalantly. "We like to take advantage of the fact that sunlight doesn't bother us."

"We'd love to come!" Ino exclaimed, yanking Shikamaru to his feet, her eyes daring him to contradict her. "If we're all done here, then let's go!" Sakura and Itachi followed her lead, albeit a bit slower. Tenten, Neji, Sasuke, and Ami followed them.

- - -

Itachi watched as Sakura sat on the shore, shaping the wet sand into a lump. Then, using her fingers, she carved away the extra, slowly but steadily revealing a katana of sand. When Tenten saw what she was doing, she hurried over to help with the designing the decorations, such as the handle and a separate scabbard.

Ino and Hinata called to them from the water while Ami sunbathed on a pink towel. Shikamaru had disappeared somewhere, while the other males had gathered under an umbrella, each watching his respective mate – with the exception of Sasuke.

Soon, Naruto bounded off to play with Hinata, who promptly turned a brilliant shade of red, and Neji wandered over to where Tenten and Sakura were, looming over them as they worked – but mostly Tenten. Itachi hesitated before going over to help. Sasuke closed his eyes and fell half asleep, completely ignoring Ami.

Seeing Neji stare pointedly at the back of Tenten's head as she ignored him, Sakura giggled and suggested (A/N: coughforcedcough) that they go over to a shady area where no one could see them and build something together.

Without letting Tenten reply Neji grabbed her wrist and followed Sakura's suggestion. Tenten didn't protest.

Chuckling, the green-eyed girl went back to her work – only to feel Itachi's hand on her head, stroking her hair. When she glared at him, he shrugged.

"You had sand in your hair," he smirked. Rolling her eyes, she continued shaping the intricate design on the blade of the katana. She was trying to replicate a design she'd seen on one of the weapons in the weapons room; however, the last bit kept escaping her.

Tenten and Neji were out of sight. With a sigh, Sakura turned her attention back to the sand katana. She closed her eyes in frustration. The sun made the sun sparkle, she noticed as she opened them again. she began another attempt to carve the design in sand.

"You're doing it wrong," Itachi murmured from behind her, taking her hand and guiding it. He used her finger like a tool and slowly the beautiful design appeared on the handle. "Spend more time in the weapons room."

"Forehead girl!" Ino cried from the water. "Come in!"

"In a minute!" Sakura shouted back. Unexpectedly, Itachi stood and picked her up, carrying her to the water.

"You've got sand all over you," he told her with a straight face. "Wash it off. Unless you want me to do it for you."

Muttering under her breath and red in the face, she ducked under the water, reappearing next to Ino, Hinata, and Naruto.

"All gone!" she called happily. Itachi strode gracefully through the salty water until he towered impassively over her. She stepped back as he stretched out an arm; he brushed the back of his slender hand gently against her cheek.

"You missed a spot." He smirked at her reddening cheeks; she was about to retort when Ino splashed both of them. Dripping wet, they turned.

"Do you want to play chicken?" she asked. "Hinata's too shy and Shikamaru is who knows where."

"Okay!" Sakura agreed. Itachi disappeared into the water and came back up under her, resulting in her sitting on his shoulders. She gave a little shriek and wrapped her arms around his head.

Ino laughed and clambered onto Naruto's shoulders. Hinata stood between them and Itachi and Sakura. "Y-your object is t-to knock your o-opponent off of their p-partner's shoulders," she instructed firmly. "R-ready… s-set… go!" She swam aside.

Ino and Naruto charged immediately; Hinata squeaked as she was splashed by their wake. Sakura nearly lost her balance when Ino slammed into her with hands outstretched, but with Itachi's strong arms steadying her, she recovered quickly and locked limbs with Ino.

"Dammit, forehead girl," Ino grunted as they struggled. "You're strong, even for a half-mortal."

"Thanks," Sakura replied. "I think…" Suddenly, Ino gave a great push and the pink-haired girl tumbled into the water. Itachi caught her before she sank down too far.

As she coughed violently, the crimson-eyed immortal rubbed her back and asked, "Daijobu, Sakura-chan?"

"H-hai…" she answered weakly, "but I think – " She froze, her hands groping blindly for something.

"What is it?" Ino asked sharply. Itachi disappeared under the surface of the water.

"I lost the knife Tenten gave me!" Sakura cried, searching the sandy bottom frantically. "It's in a waterproof sheath – "

"Are you looking for this?" Something black dangled before her pale face. She sighed in relief, recognizing the sheath.

"Thank you, Itachi-san!" His eyes widened for a fraction of a second as she threw her arms around his waist, but he didn't miss Ino's knowing smile. Sakura saw her blond friend's expression as well and quickly pulled back, mumbling an apology. Itachi found himself wishing that Ino hadn't interfered.

- - -

At dinner that night, the table was full of sobbing, wailing females (and the occasional male) who had finally grasped the concept that this was their last night. Many pleaded for their lives, but no one – and nothing – was let out of the castle.

Sakura was determined to enjoy her last meal. Chatting with Tenten, Ino, and Hinata kept her mind occupied while she ate, and it was some comfort knowing that one human, at least, would make it through the night. Tenten had been holding Neji's hand the whole evening.

Ami had collapsed into a trembling heap at Sasuke's feet, but the raven-haired immortal took no notice save for a single, contemptuous glance at her. All around the table, vampires paid little heed to their captives. One or two humans ate silently, keeping their eyes on their food. Sakura guessed that these were the ones who, like her, had nothing to lose.

Once finished, the royals began leading their mates away and up the stairs, where screams could be heard faintly – horror and pleasure, mixed together until the thin line between them blurred and was gone.

Neji helped Tenten up, and she went willingly; Sakura wondered if she was the only one who saw the slight flicker of fear that flitted across the brunette's face for a moment.

"Come," Itachi whispered, rising from the table. He offered a hand, which she pointedly ignored, but he reached out and took her hand anyway.

- - -

She changed into the pitch black nightgown yet again, placing her knives and sheathes onto the table.

Itachi beckoned to her from his perch on the bed. As she lay on the black silk sheets beside him, he pinned her down and kissed her. And then it happened.

It felt like she had died, but she'd always known that she would go to Hell when that happened; and this was possibly as close to Heaven as she'd ever get. She closed her eyes and let her body take control, deciding to enjoy her last night.

The kisses that Itachi trailed across her face won him the game. Memory after memory flashed before Sakura's eyes of the last two days – more happy, contented memories than ever before in her life. She found herself crying, and Itachi kissed the tears away.

As they slowly calmed down, Itachi kept his arms around Sakura, holding her to his chest, as if unwilling to let her go. When she tried to wiggle away from him, he merely tightened his hold on her and nuzzled her neck.

"Sakura… Sakura-chan…" he mumbled, squeezing her. "Don't leave me…" She gave up trying to get loose and settled instead for stroking his silky black hair.

"I won't leave," she assured him softly.

"Stay with me… forever…"

"Forever," she echoed him. "I won't leave… I'd miss you too much…" As she closed her eyes, she didn't notice his satisfied smirk.

Slowly, silence crept through the castle, aided by both Death and her sister Sleep. Darkness enveloped Sakura.

- - -

No light invaded the sealed room, but Sakura's internal clock woke her. Her jade eyes fluttered open; she sat up and found herself dressed in a long black gown. The space beside her was empty but still warm.

Suddenly, the door opened and light flooded the room. Shading her eyes, Sakura could make out Itachi's silhouette. Once her eyes had adjusted properly, she stood.

He was smirking – that infernal smirk drove her crazy! At his beckon, she followed him to a corner of the room. He brushed her pink locks until they shined and tied a black ribbon around her neck. The metal choker had come off in last night's frenzy. Kissing her cheek, he led her out the door.

She narrowed her eyes – he seemed to be in a good mood. But why?

The hall that had once been filled with noise now stood deathly silent, as red-eyed humans and emotionless immortals stood side by side. Some of the latter were merely holding empty shells of their mates. Sakura shuddered. Two by two they stepped forward before the council of elders. The dead bodies were taken away by vampires clothed in black. The grim-faced eldest held out a tiny vial of clear liquid to every immortal whose mate was still alive.

The vampire took the vial and either handed it to the human next to him or – very rarely – gave it back to the elders. Neji lifted the container briefly before setting it back down in the elderly immortal's hands. Sakura caught Tenten's eye and nodded slightly in approval. Tenten beamed.

Sasuke eyed the vial of liquid critically before placing it mercilessly in Ami's hands. She sobbed once before swallowing. Sasuke led her away to collapse in the privacy of his room.

When it was their turn, Sakura wondered it Itachi would ask her to take the poison even though it wouldn't affect her. He stood examining the vial for so long that she wanted to grab it from him and get it over with. Then, just before she exploded, he handed it back.

With that infernal smirk still on his face, he placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her up the stairs back into his room.

Unsheathing her longest knife, which was something like a short sword, she tested it on her finger. Glancing at Itachi, she asked, "Where should I do it, Itachi-san?"

"Do what?" he replied, taking the knife from her gently.

"Kill myself," she answered. "Unless you wanted to do it yourself?" She cocked her head.

He chuckled, placed the knife on the table, and embraced her. "You can't. You promised not to leave me, remember? You're going to stay with me forever…"

Without another word, he slid the ribbon off of her neck and bit through the skin, draining her. She slumped over without fighting and he sat down on the bed, laying her limp form across his lap.

As her heart beat slower and fainter, he slid one of her kunai out of its sheath and slashed his wrist. The instant her heart stopped, he pried her mouth open and let his blood drip down her throat. She involuntarily swallowed and shivered.

Slowly, her heart began to beat and her chest rose and fell as she breathed. Placing her gently onto the bed, Itachi watched as she slept. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and kissed it, inhaling her scent.

"Sakura. Sakura-chan, wake up," he whispered softly into her ear. She moaned, stirring.

"Itachi-san…?" She reached up and felt the puncture marks on her neck, staring at him in confusion.

"You're immortal now, Sakura-chan. We can be together forever," he murmured, tracing the outline of her face. "Oh, and by the way," he added with a wicked smirk, "I believe that I won the game last night."

Sakura laughed. "And what is your prize, Itachi-san?" Her face glowed as it had never done before.

"For one thing, stop calling me Itachi-san. As for my prize…" He grabbed her waist and pinned her to the bed. "I have an idea…"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hey, you two!" Ino called, completely certain that Sakura was not dead. "Do you want to come to the beach with us again?"

Sakura threw Itachi off of her with her newfound strength and opened the door. Ino frowned.

"Gods, girl!" she exclaimed. "You don't look so good! The beach will do you wonders." Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Sakura's hand.

"Come on, Itachi-kun!" Sakura called over her shoulder. Itachi smirked as he registered the use of the familiar suffix.

"I'll claim my prize tonight," he warned in a deep tone that sent shivers down Sakura's back.

She grinned cheekily at him. "Catch me if you can!" 

**End Undead Game.**

- - -

**Whew. Finally done. I need you to tell me if the rating is okay with the REALLY vague scene up there. I dunno… You tell me. Oh, yeah. I forgot that last time, I made a mistake. I said that Hinata was a full-time mate, and some of you caught me there.**

**Original vampires:Mates (turned vampires):**

**NejiTenten**

**Hinata (she is his cousin, after all)Naruto**

**ShikamaruIno (Sakura knew her before)**

**SasukeNo one (because he's an idiot)**

**Itachi (duh… He's Sasuke's brother)Sakura (No, really?!)**

**I think that's it. Heh. Thanks to all of you who read, and all of you who reviewed! Sequel to Allegiances, coming up! (I'm still writing it, so it might be slower…)**


End file.
